Sample arraying/assembling device, its method, and apparatus using sample assembly

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a sample arraying/assembling device, its method, and an apparatus using a sample assembly, and has an object of providing a sample arraying/assembling device which is adapted to various microplates of International Standards, and is capable of efficiently and quickly arraying and assembling various samples; its method; and an apparatus using a sample assembly. The present invention is constituted to comprise: a distributing section which is capable of holding respective solutions containing samples to be distributed, and which has a plurality of holding ends arranged in a predetermined matrix; and a wound body which has a plane surface wound with a string-like or thread-like slender foundation member on which samples are to be distributed at distribution intervals of column or line of the matrix, which is arranged in parallel at the winding intervals of the line or column on the plane surface, so that the respective holding ends can come into contact therewith.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a sample arraying/assembling device,its method, and an apparatus using a sample assembly. More precisely,the invention relates to a device which arrays various samples on thesurface of a three-dimensional body such as a cylinder, its method, andan apparatus using a sample assembly. The present invention is used formanufacturing a three-dimensional array such as in a cylindrical shapewhere samples containing various biological materials such as nucleicacids, polynucleotides, oligonucleotides, proteins, saccharides, andimmunity substances are arrayed. The present invention is useful infields where examination or processing using such arrayed varioussamples is required, in particular, such fields as chemistry includingbiochemistry, medicine, health, pharmacology, food industry,agriculture, livestock industry, fisheries, engineering, and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, a planar array where biological materials such asthousands of various different gene specimens or variousoligonucleotides are arrayed on a plane, has come to be often used inexamination and testing (Published Japanese Translation No. 10-503341 ofPCT International Publication, U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,522, JapaneseUnexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11-187900, U.S. Pat. No.6,221,653, U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,305). For example, in order to determinethe unknown base sequence of a target biological material: a planararray having various oligonucleotides arrayed is prepared; DNA segmentsof the target biological material are labeled with a fluorescentsubstance or the like; the position of the detected fluorescentluminescence on the planar array bonded with the DNA segment isdetermined; and the structure of the base sequence of the targetbiological material is determined by the detection position. Arrayingthe samples such as oligonucleotides and the like on this planar array,is performed for example by drawing a small amount of the solution froma container storing a solution suspended with the samples such as thespecimen, and transferring to corresponding spotting positions on aplane, and contacting the liquid onto the surface one by one (U.S. Pat.No. 6,040,193).

On the other hand, as a substitute for the planar array, the presentinventor has developed a sample assembly having a foundation memberformed into a slender shape such as thread-like or string-like shape,and with samples containing various biological materials immobilizedalong the longitudinal direction of the foundation member, wherein thefoundation member is wound, and the various biological materials andtheir immobilized positions are associated (WO01/61361 A1, WO01/53831A1, WO01/69249 A1, WO02/63300 A1). In order to arrange the biologicalmaterials onto the thread-like or string-like foundation member, forexample, the string-like foundation member is arranged or made travelalong a predetermined route, while from the container storing thesolution suspended with the samples such as a specimen, a small amountof solution is arranged in the corresponding positions (InternationalApplication No. PCT/JP03/06618).

Incidentally, the solution containing the various samples for spottingis normally stored in an International Standard 96-well microplate (9 mmpitch), 384-well microplate (4.5 mm pitch), or 1536-well microplate(2.25 mm pitch). The various samples are arrayed and assembled bysequentially repeating an operation of inserting pins into theserespective wells to adhere the stored solution, and transferring thesamples onto a glass plate to be arrayed, so that the tips of pin-likeapplication sections are in contact with predetermined positions havinga smaller pitch than the pitch between the respective wells.

In order to array the samples for this purpose, it is necessary torepeat the transfer with respect to the pins and the glass plate, sothat there is a problem of taking time and labor especially if theoperation is manually performed.

Moreover, in order to array the samples in the assembled condition, itis necessary to reduce the distribution amount of the samples in therespective positions, and a sufficient amount of the samples can not bearrayed, so that there a problem of a likelihood of worsening thereaction efficiency.

Furthermore, to perform the processing in the respective spottingpositions in the assembled condition, there is a problem of difficultyin handling, and the likelihood of not being able to obtain sufficientaccuracy.

On the other hand, in order to manufacture the sample assembly,distribution of the samples onto the string-like foundation memberconstituting the sample assembly by means of the pin-like applicationsections, requires fixing the arranged string-like foundation member andmoving the application sections, or fixing the application sections andmaking the string-like foundation member travel, thus requiring acomplicated mechanism. Moreover, in order to make the string-like memberdistributed with the samples travel, it is necessary to bridge thestring-like member over a mechanism such as a roller. Therefore there isa problem of the likelihood of requiring a complicated mechanism inorder to avoid cross contamination of the samples distributed on therespective spotting points.

To array the samples only on one flat face of a glass plate and thelike, there is a problem of low usage efficiency due to the existence ofthe reverse face that is not used.

Furthermore, to use a complicated and large-scale apparatus, there is aproblem of the likelihood of high manufacturing cost and operating cost.

Therefore, the present invention is made to solve the above problems,with a first object of providing: a sample arraying/assembling devicewhich is adapted for various microplates of the International Standard,and is capable of arraying a large number of samples onto a string-likeor thread-like foundation member or the like, at once or intermittentlyquickly, thereby enabling efficient and quick processing; its method;and an apparatus using a sample assembly.

A second object is to provide a sample arraying/assembling device whicharrays and assembles the samples in a three-dimensional shape, thusenabling an increase in usage efficiency; its method; and an apparatususing a sample assembly.

A third object is to provide a reliable sample arraying/assemblingdevice which can reliably prevent cross contamination between respectivearrayed samples; its method; and an apparatus using a sample assembly.

A fourth object is to provide a sample arraying/assembling device whichcan array various samples in various three-dimensional shapes, withvariety and generality; its method; and an apparatus using a sampleassembly.

A fifth object is to provide a sample arraying/assembling device whichis easy to use and low in cost, that can be readily used in a laboratoryand the like, having a simple structure capable of arraying andassembling samples by simple handwork at low cost; its method; and anapparatus using a sample assembly.

A sixth object is to provide a sample arraying/assembling device whichis capable of reliably associating the respective samples and thepositions thereof, by arraying the samples one-dimensionally so that thesamples can be reliably arrayed and assembled; its method; and anapparatus using a sample assembly.

A seventh object is to provide a sample arraying/assembling device whichcan distribute a sufficient amount of liquid into respective sampledistribution positions, and can array and assemble the samples so as toincrease the reaction efficiency; its method; and an apparatus using asample assembly.

An eighth object is to provide a sample arraying/assembling device whichuses a sample assembly having various samples assembled and arrayed sothat optical information can be obtained readily at low cost; itsmethod; and an apparatus using a sample assembly.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the above technical problems, a first aspect of thepresent invention is a sample arraying/assembling device comprising: adistributing section which is capable of holding respective solutionscontaining samples to be distributed, and which has a plurality ofholding ends arranged in a predetermined matrix; and a wound body whichhas a plane surface wound with a string-like or thread-like slenderfoundation member on which samples are to be distributed at distributionintervals of column or line of the matrix, which is arranged in parallelat winding intervals of the line or column on the plane surface, so thatthe respective holding ends can come into contact therewith.

Here, the “predetermined matrix” means a condition where respectivecomponents, such as wells in a container, concavities and convexportions on the wound body, or holding ends of the distributing section,are arranged in parallel at respectively determined intervals withrespect to two directions of the column direction and the linedirection. The column direction and the line direction are normallyorthogonal, however the predetermined matrix is not limited to this. Forexample, for the microplate-like container it means a condition ofarrangement of a plurality of wells at previously determined intervals.Preferred examples include an International Standard 48-well microplate(6 columns×8 lines), 96-well microplate (8 columns×12 lines), 384-wellmicroplate (16 columns×24 lines), and 1536-well microplate (32columns×48 lines). The “distribution intervals” and “winding intervals”respectively mean intervals matching the column intervals or the lineintervals of the predetermined matrix, which are preferably uniform.Moreover, the “distribution intervals” and the “winding intervals” maybe the same or different.

Examples of the “sample” include biological materials such as nucleicacids, polynucleotides, oligonucleotides, proteins, saccharides,immunity substances, biopolymers such as hormones, and low molecularweight biosubstances. Moreover, the sample includes beads adhered withthese biological materials.

The “holding end” is an end of a member which has a function of holdinga small amount of liquid of the various samples. For example, in orderto broaden the contact area of the holding end and the foundationmember, grooves or concavities along the foundation member arepreferably provided on the tip. Moreover, the foundation member holdingcapacity can be increased by providing a pen tip-like slit or a hole onthe tip portion, or by forming into an approximate letter-J shape, anapproximate letter-V shape, or an approximate letter < shape. Moreover,the holding end may have a material with water bearing properties suchas a porous material, a corrugated material, or a foaming material atthe tip or all over. Furthermore, the holding end may be cylindrical,tubular, or donut shape, and may be hollow inside. The material of theholding end is formed for example from, a plastic such as polycarbonate,polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polysulphone,polyvinylidene 2 fluoride, and teflon (registered trademark), anon-metal such as a glass, or a metal such as aluminium, titanium, andthe like. Moreover, in order to prevent the solution from being adheredonto the region adjacent to the holding end instead of the holding end,the surface is preferably coated with a polymer, in particular teflon(registered trademark) or silicone to give a hydrophobic property.

The holding ends are preferably distributed so that the whole peripheryof the foundation member is in contact with the samples in therespective distribution positions.

The “distributing section” may be disposable, or may be reusable bywashing.

The “foundation member” is the object of distribution of the solutioncontaining the various samples, and is wound through a side face of acylindrical or a prism shaped (including solid or hollow) core to form asample assembly. The foundation member is formed from a string-like orthread-like flexible material so that it can be wound and unwound.Moreover, the length of the foundation member has a length allowingdistribution of at least samples corresponding to all the elements ofthe matrix. The thickness of the foundation member is within a rangebetween about 10 μm and several mm. In order to array the samplescontained in the distributed solution, it is necessary that thefoundation member itself has water bearing properties such as porosity,corrugations, or foam, or has been surface treated by coating, soaking,or the like. The material thereof is preferably determined by thesamples to be distributed. Examples include nylon treated with HCl orformic acid, cellulose, nitrocellulose, a glass fiber, cellulose,chitosan, epoxy resin or monofilament carriers, and silk threads orcotton threads entwined with fibers. In the foundation member,biologically activated molecules are preferably fixed onto the porouslayer and the like. Such functional groups (molecules) include —NH₂,—COOH, groups aminated by a nucleophile, and so on. The sampledistributed onto the foundation member is preferably fixed by drying, UVcrosslinking, a PVA cross-linking method, a UV cross-linked resinmethod, and the like according to the property of the sample.

In order to enable the foundation member to contact with all holdingends, the length of the foundation member on the plane needs to have atleast the length from the end of the column or the line of the matrix tothe end, and the number of windings needs to be the number of the linesor the columns. The respective samples to be distributed, and thepositions on the foundation member where the respective samples are tobe distributed, are previously determined.

The “wound body” means a three-dimensional body around which thefoundation member is wound. The shape thereof includes a planar shapeand a prism shape. The wound body needs to be provided with at least oneplane, or two planes to several planes where the distribution is to beperformed. The winding route of the wound body is preferably set inparallel with the line or the column of the predetermined matrix of thedistributing section or the like. The wound body preferably has arotationally symmetric axis, and is wound around the rotationallysymmetric axis so as to be orthogonal or approximately orthogonal to theaxis.

The material of the wound body is for example a plastic such aspolyacetal resin, polypropylene, and polyethylene, a non-metal such as aglass, a metal such as aluminium, titanium, or the like.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the holding endsof the distributing section are arranged on a matrix such as wellsarranged in an already-known microplate, and the foundation member iswound around the wound body to match to the arrangement of the holdingends. Consequently, using the already-known microplate, the samples canbe distributed efficiently at once. Moreover, the samples are notdirectly distributed on the wound body, but are distributed on thefoundation member wound around the wound body. Consequently, thedistribution position of the sample is fixed not on the wound body buton the foundation member. Therefore the assembling can be readilyperformed by assembling the array of the foundation member. According tothe present invention, since the samples are distributed on thefoundation member which is not assembled, the samples can be readilydistributed, and the assembling can be readily performed by arraying thefoundation member on which the samples are distributed, in a conditionwhere the winding intervals are narrowed and dense.

A second aspect of the present invention is a sample arraying/assemblingdevice comprising a container which has a plurality of wells capable ofstoring the respective solutions containing the samples to bedistributed, arrayed in the predetermined matrix, and the respectiveholding ends of the distributing section are provided so as to be ableto be inserted into the respective wells. Here, the “container” is forexample the abovementioned microplate. The respective holding ends ofthe distributing section need to have a length and a thickness allowingthem to be inserted into the respective wells.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, using analready-known microplate, the distribution processing of the samples canbe performed readily and efficiently at low cost.

A third aspect of the present invention is a sample arraying/assemblingdevice wherein the distributing section has liquid storing sectionscapable of storing the respective solutions containing the samples to bedistributed, arrayed in the predetermined matrix, and the holding endsare respectively communicated with the liquid storing sections.

Here, since the holding ends are communicated with the liquid storingsections, the holding ends need to be for example, a tubular or pen-likeshape, or to have a water bearing material.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the distributingsection supplies the solution from the inside of the holding ends to theholding ends, by means of the liquid storing sections capable of storingthe respective solutions containing the samples to be distributed, andwhich is communicated therewith. Consequently, a container for merelystoring the solution can be omitted, or a step for drawing out of therespective containers from inside the containers by the holding ends canbe omitted. Moreover, a large amount the same sample can be continuallydistributed. Consequently, the working space and the working process canbe omitted for that amount. Furthermore, since a large amount of thesample can be distributed, the efficiency is high and the processing canbe quickly performed.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a sample arraying/assemblingdevice wherein the wound body has a plate body and the plane surface isa plate face. Here, preferably the plate body has a square plate facecorresponding to the arrangement of the holding ends of the distributingsection, the arrangement of the respective wells of the container, orthe size of the matrix.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the foundationmember is wound around the plate body as the wound body. Consequently,the samples can be distributed on the top face and the reverse face, andhence the working efficiency is high.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a sample arraying/assemblingdevice wherein the wound body has a prism, and the plane surface is aside face. Here, preferably the prism has a square side facecorresponding to the arrangement of the holding ends of the distributingsection, the arrangement of the respective wells of the container, orthe size of the matrix. Since it is a prism, it is possible to have atleast three planes.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the foundationmember is wound around the prism as the wound body. Consequently, sinceat least three planes or more can be used, the usage efficiency is high.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is a sample arraying/assemblingdevice wherein the distributing section has a plurality of holding endsprojecting to the bottom side of a rectangular board, and arranged inthe predetermined matrix. Here, “rectangular” is a shape correspondingto the predetermined matrix.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since aplurality of holding ends are arranged in a matrix on one board, thedistribution processing can be readily performed at once by a unitmatrix.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device wherein the holding ends have a water bearingproperty. Here, in order to “have a water bearing property”, forexample, the tip of the holding end is provided with a slit, or isformed into a tubular shape, or is formed from a material with a waterbearing property such as a porous or a form material.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the capacityof holding the solution can be increased, by making the holding end havea water bearing property.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device wherein the surface of the wound body isprovided with a localization section which localizes the samples withina fixed range on the foundation member, in distribution positions of therespective samples provided at distribution intervals of the column orline along a winding route of the foundation member which has beenprovided in parallel at winding intervals of the line or column of thepredetermined matrix.

Here, since it is “within a fixed range of the foundation member”adhering of the samples at least onto parts other than the localizationmember of the wound body can be prevented.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the surface ofthe wound body is provided with a localization section which localizesthe distributed samples to within a fixed range of the foundationmember. Consequently, the samples can be kept from spreading outside ofa fixed range of the foundation member, onto the foundation member orthe surface of the wound body, thus preventing cross contamination.Therefore the samples can be distributed with a high reliability.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is a sample arraying/assemblingdevice wherein the localization sections are concavities at distributionintervals of the column or line, along the winding route of thefoundation member that has been provided in parallel at the windingintervals of the line or column of the predetermined matrix, and thefoundation member is in contact with the holding ends in theconcavities. In this case, the concavities are arranged in thepredetermined matrix overall.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the concavitiesare provided as the localization sections. As a result, in addition tothe abovementioned effect, the samples supplied from the holding endscan be made to contact with the entire periphery of the foundationmember. Moreover, the samples can be prevented from flowing out to theadjacent distribution positions, thus preventing cross contamination.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is a sample arraying/assemblingdevice wherein the localization sections are convex portions provided atdistribution intervals of the column or line, along the winding route ofthe foundation member that has been provided in parallel at the windingintervals of the line or column of the predetermined matrix.

Here, there are cases where the contact of the foundation member withthe holding ends is performed in the convex portions, and cases wherethis contact is performed in portions other than the convex portions,for example in the middle between the convex portions. The convexportions are arranged in the predetermined matrix overall.

In the case where the contact is performed in the convex portion, if thetip of the convex portion is sharpened, areas of the respectivedistribution regions of the samples can be reduced. Therefore crosscontamination can be prevented effectively.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the convexportions are provided as the localization sections. If pressure isapplied by the holding ends so as to push the foundation member, thesolution held by the holding ends can be soaked into the foundationmember just within a small range at the tip of the convex portions.Consequently, the tip of the convex portion is preferably sharp.Moreover, if the holding end is tubular, or the tip of the holding endis formed into a donut shape, having a hole for holding the solution,then by providing the convex portion in a donut shape to match the shapeand the size of the holding end, the foundation member is sandwiched bythe holding end and the convex portion, thus preventing the solutionheld in the hole of the donut from leaking to the outside, andpreventing cross contamination. Therefore the samples can be distributedwith high reliability.

Moreover, if the holding ends are made to contact at the middle betweenthe convex portions, since the foundation member is supported by theconvex portions, the foundation member and the surface of the wound bodyare not directly in contact, and the samples can be distributed to thefoundation member only, thus avoiding adhesion of the samples onto thesurface of the wound body. Consequently, cross contamination can beprevented.

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device wherein the surface of the wound body isformed with striations for guiding the foundation member along thewinding route of the foundation member.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, thefoundation member can be wound to correspond to the position of theholding ends or the like of the distributing section. Therefore reliabledistribution can be performed.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device, comprising: a base which detachably attachesthe container and/or the wound body solely or in laminations in thisorder; and a movable section which is detachably attached with thedistributing section above the base, and which can move the distributingsection vertically so that it can be in contact with or separated fromthe container and/or the wound body. Here, it is necessary to positionthe wells of the respective containers, the foundation member woundaround the wound body, and the respective holding ends of thedistributing section so that they can be reliably contacted, by themovement.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the samplescan be distributed onto the foundation member, readily and simply withhigh reliability.

A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device, comprising: a detachably provided wound bodywhich is wound with a foundation member on which samples are distributedat distribution intervals of column or line of a predetermined matrix,in parallel at winding intervals of the line or column; a detachablyprovided core to which one end of the foundation member is attached, andwhich is to be wound with the foundation member; and a foundation memberrolling section which sequentially takes out the foundation member fromthe wound body while rolling it up around the core at narrower intervalsthan the winding intervals; so as to assemble and arrange the foundationmember.

Here, “assembling of the foundation member” can be achieved byshortening the winding intervals. Preferably taking out of thefoundation member is performed for each line or each column of thefoundation member wound around the wound body. At this time, preferablythis is performed by applying a tension to the foundation member.Moreover, preferably sequentially taking out the foundation member fromthe wound body, is performed for each line or each column wound andformed on the plane.

Here, the “core” is formed for example from, a plastic such aspolycarbonate, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene, and polypropylene, anon-metal such as a glass, or a metal such as aluminium, titanium, andthe like.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, thefoundation member is sequentially taken out from the wound body while itis being rolled up around the core at narrower intervals than thewinding intervals. Consequently, there is no occurrence of abrasion dueto friction between the wound body and the portion of the foundationmember where the samples are actually distributed, and hence crosscontamination between the samples distributed on the foundation membercan be prevented, and the samples can be assembled with a highreliability. As a result, due to the broader winding intervals anddistribution intervals of the wells arranged in the container or theholding ends arranged on the distributing section, the samples can bereadily distributed, and also, thereafter, by assembling the foundationmember narrower than the winding intervals, the samples can be readilyand simply assembled.

A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device wherein the foundation member rolling sectionrotates at least one of the wound body and the core, and relativelyrevolves said wound body and said core about each other, and relativelytranslationally moves them, so as to sequentially take out thefoundation member from the wound body, and to roll up the foundationmember that has been taken out, around the core.

Since it “rotates at least one of the wound body and the core, andrelatively revolves said wound body and said core about each other”, thecase where the wound body and the core each simply just rotate isomitted, and it accompanies the revolution of one of them at least.

The direction, the axial direction, and the rotation speed ratio of the“revolution” and the “rotation” are set so that the foundation membercan be taken out from the wound body and rolled up around the core.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, by acombination of simple operations of; revolution between the wound bodyand the core, rotation, and translational movement, the assembling canbe readily performed reliably without cross contamination. Moreover,according to the present invention, since the foundation member can beassembled manually without using a motor, the scale of the device can bereduced and the assembling can be performed readily.

A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device, comprising a core rotating and movingsection which makes the foundation member rolling section rotate thecore in the direction of rolling up the foundation member, and revolvearound the wound body in the direction of taking out the foundationmember, and translationally moves the core relatively with respect tothe wound body, to thereby roll up the foundation member around thecore. In general, since the core around which the foundation member isrolled up, is smaller compared to the wound body, the scale of thedevice can be reduced more if the core is revolved.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, a similareffect can be demonstrated to the effect described in the fourteenthaspect of the present invention.

A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device wherein the wound body is swingably held.Here, preferably the swing axis is provided along the orthogonaldirection to the winding direction. By providing the rotation axis andthe revolution axis of the core in parallel with the swing axis, themechanism can be simplified and the processing can be performedsmoothly.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the tensionapplied to the foundation member can be adjusted by swingably holdingthe wound body. Therefore the foundation member can be smoothly takenout from the wound body and rolled up around the core.

A seventeenth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device comprising: a distributing section which iscapable of holding respective solutions containing samples to bedistributed, and which has a plurality of holding ends arranged in apredetermined matrix; a wound body which has a plane surface wound witha string-like or thread-like slender foundation member on which samplesare to be distributed at distribution intervals of column or line of thematrix, which is arranged in parallel at the winding intervals of theline or column on the plane surface, so that the respective holding endscan come into contact therewith; a detachably provided core to which oneend of the foundation member is attached, and which is to be wound withthe foundation member; and a foundation member rolling section whichsequentially takes out the foundation member from the wound body whilerolling it up around the core at narrower intervals than the windingintervals; so as to assemble and arrange the foundation member.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, theprocessing from the distribution of the sample onto the foundationmember, to the assembling of the foundation member where the samples aredistributed, can be readily performed by a simple device consistently.Since the assembling is performed after completing the sampledistribution, the samples can be readily and reliably distributed.

An eighteenth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling method of distributing samples at once atdistribution intervals of column and line of a predetermined matrix, ona string-like or thread-like slender foundation member, comprising: aholding step for holding respective solutions containing samples to bedistributed, on a plurality of holding ends arranged in a predeterminedmatrix; and a contact step for making the respective holding endscontact with the foundation member wound on a wound body having a planesurface wound so that the foundation member is arranged in parallel atwinding intervals of the line or the column on the plane surface.

According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, a similareffect can be demonstrated to the effect described in the first aspectof the present invention.

An nineteenth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling method, wherein the holding step is performed byinserting the holding ends into respective wells of a container having aplurality of wells arranged in the predetermined matrix, and storingsolutions containing samples to be distributed.

According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, a similareffect can be demonstrated to the effect described in the second aspectof the present invention.

An twentieth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling method, wherein the holding step comprises supplyingthe solution arranged in the predetermined matrix, and containingsamples to be distributed, into a plurality of respective holding endsfrom the inside thereof.

According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, a similareffect can be demonstrated to the effect described in the third aspectof the present invention.

A twenty first aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling method, comprising an assembling step for:sequentially taking out a foundation member from a wound body wound witha foundation member on which samples are distributed at distributionintervals of column or line of a predetermined matrix, in parallel atthe winding intervals of the line or column; and rolling the foundationmember up around a core to which one end of the foundation member isattached, and around which the foundation member is wound, at narrowerintervals than the winding intervals.

According to the twenty first aspect of the present invention, a similareffect can be demonstrated to the effect described in the thirteenthaspect of the present invention.

A twenty second aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling method, wherein the assembling step comprisesrotating at least one of the wound body and the core, and relativelyrevolving said wound body and said core about each other, and relativelytranslationally moving them, so as to sequentially take out thefoundation member from the wound body, and to roll up the foundationmember that has been taken out, around the core. Here, preferably atension is applied when the foundation member is taken out from thewound body.

According to the twenty second aspect of the present invention, asimilar effect can be demonstrated to the effect described in thefourteenth aspect of the present invention.

A twenty third aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling method comprising: a holding step for holdingrespective solutions containing samples to be distributed on a pluralityof holding ends arranged in a predetermined matrix; a contact step formaking the respective holding ends contact with the foundation memberand the wound body having a plane surface wound so that the foundationmember is arranged in parallel at winding intervals of line or column ofthe matrix on the plane surface; and an assembling step for sequentiallytaking out the foundation member from the wound body wound with afoundation member on which samples are distributed, in parallel at thewinding intervals of the line or column, and rolling up the foundationmember around a core to which one end of the foundation member isattached, and around which the foundation member is to be wound, atnarrower intervals than the winding intervals.

According to the twenty third aspect of the present invention, a similareffect can be demonstrated to the effect described in the thirteenthaspect of the present invention and the seventeenth aspect of thepresent invention.

A twenty fourth aspect of the present invention is a wound body whichhas a string-like or thread-like slender foundation member on whichsamples are to be distributed at distribution intervals of the column orline, and a plane surface wound with the foundation member so as to bearranged in parallel at the winding intervals of the line or column onthe plane surface. The wound body is preferably detachably provided witha supporting member such as a core to which one end of the foundationmember is attached, and a rod which supports the core.

According to the twenty fourth aspect of the present invention, bymounting the foundation member around the wound body so as to match withthe predetermined matrix, the distribution of the samples can be readilyand reliably performed. Moreover, if the wound body has a plurality ofplane surfaces, the samples can be distributed in the respective planes,and hence usage efficiency is high.

A twenty fifth aspect of the present invention is a samplearraying/assembling device, comprising: an assembled body having a corehaving a peripheral curved face or two side faces or more on whichrespective samples are to be distributed in predetermined positions withintervals, or wound or coated with a member on which respective samplesare to be distributed in predetermined positions with intervals aroundthe axis; and a rotating section which intermittently rotates the corearound the axis for each predetermined angle so that the respectivesamples can be distributed around the peripheral curved face, therespective side faces, or the wound or coated member.

Here, the member may be a film-like member such as a membrane inaddition to the string-like or the thread-like slender foundationmember. The case where the distribution is performed by winding the corewith the foundation member on which respective samples are to bearrayed, is a case where the wound body itself becomes the assembledbody. The number of the side faces is for example six if the core is ahexagonal prism, and eight if it is an octagonal prism. Moreover, the“peripheral curved face” means a curved face such as a side face of acylinder or an elliptic cylinder which forms the periphery of thethree-dimensional figure.

The “assembled body” means a sample assembly before the samples aredistributed.

“So that the respective samples can be distributed around the peripheralcurved face, the respective side faces, or the wound or coated member”is preferably for example, to horizontally position the peripheralcurved face or the respective side faces, if the solution containing thesamples is distributed by a pipette tip or holding ends. An examplethereof is a position where, if the core is cylindrical or prism like,the axis of the cylinder or the prism becomes horizontal. The axis maynot necessarily be a rotationally symmetric axis. The rotating sectionmay be rotatable manually or automatically.

The “predetermined angle” is determined according to the number and theshape of the side faces, for example 90 degrees if the prism is aregular tetrahedron. However the “predetermined angle” is not limited tothis and may be determined according to for example an interval betweenthe distributed adjacent spots.

Moreover, preferably on the peripheral curved face, the side faces, orthe member of the core is provided in advance a stopping mark, aspotting piece, or a spotting concavity in the distribution position ofthe respective samples. As a result, the samples can be reliably andreadily distributed. Moreover, since the distribution position of thesamples can be accurately determined, the reliability of measurement canbe improved.

According to the twenty fifth aspect of the present invention, by merelyrotating the core for each predetermined angle by the rotating section,the respective samples can be intermittently, readily, and reliablydistributed on the peripheral curved face of a cylinder or the like, theside faced of a prism or the like, or a member wound or coated.

A twenty sixth aspect of the present invention is an apparatus using asample arraying/assembling device comprising: a sample assembly having acore having a peripheral curved face or two side faces or more on whichrespective samples are distributed in predetermined positions withintervals, or wound or coated with a member on which respective samplesare distributed in predetermined positions with intervals around theaxis; a translucent or semitranslucent pipette tip capable of storingthe sample assembly and having a fluid drawing and discharging opening;a rotating section which intermittently rotates the pipette tip and thesample assembly stored in the pipette tip, around the axis of thepipette tip or the core for each predetermined angle; and an opticalinformation acquisition section which receives light from the sampleassembly and obtains optical information.

Here, the “member” includes a film-like member such as a membrane inaddition to the string-like or the thread-like slender foundationmember. The “pipette tip” is attachable to a nozzle which is connectedto a pressure adjustment section for drawing a fluid into the pipettetip and discharging the fluid from the pipette tip. The sample assemblycan be stored in a condition of being fixed to the inside of the pipettetip.

The rotation of the pipette tip around the axis by the rotating sectionis performed for example by using a positioning member having inside abore through which the pipette tip is inserted, and which is formed withan outer face of a prism having the outside match the axis of thepipette tip, to intermittently rotate the pipette tip around the axiswhile positioning by the outer face of the positioning member. Thepipette tip is attachable to a nozzle of a device which draws anddischarges manually or electrically. The “rotating section” can berotatable manually or automatically.

Moreover, in the optical information acquisition section, if thelabeling is performed by fluorescent substances, exciting light isirradiated onto the sample assembly for each rotation of a predeterminedangle by the rotating section, and the fluorescent light is received bya light receiver. The received light signal is converted into anelectric signal, and the electric signal is processed by a controller,analyzed by a computer, and outputted to a display panel.

According to the twenty sixth aspect of the present invention, since theoptical information is obtained by the intermittent rotation, theoptical information can be readily obtained at low cost by simplehandling such as by hand.

Moreover, according to the twenty sixth aspect of the present invention,when the optical information is measured, the sample assembly is storedin the pipette tip. Consequently, the measurement can be performed atthe time of drawing the necessary reagents into the pipette tip andmaking them contact with the sample assembly to react. As a result, theluminescence immediately after the reaction can be reliably captured,and hence reliability is high.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sample distributing device accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sample distributing deviceaccording to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a wound body according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows the wound body, a rod, and a core according to theembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a sample assembling deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the sample assembling deviceaccording to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from adifferent direction to that of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the sample assembling device according to theembodiment of the present invention, and the main part of the mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary broken perspective view showing an example of asample assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a sample arraying/assembling device according to anembodiment of the present invention, and an apparatus using a sampleassembly.

FIG. 10 shows a core according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 11 relates to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a)shows a fixing stage, and (b) shows a condition where the core isinserted into a pipette tip.

FIG. 12 shows an outline of a scanner device according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 13 relates to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a)is a front view of a positioning device, and (b) is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 14 shows an irradiation mechanism according to the embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 15 shows a photodetecting mechanism according to the embodiment ofthe present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereunder is a description of a sample arraying/assembling deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference tothe drawings. The description of the present embodiment should not beconsidered as limiting the present invention unless particularlyspecified.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a sample distributingdevice 11 in a sample arraying/assembling device 10 according to thepresent embodiment. The sample distributing device 11 has: a rectangularboard shaped base 12 fixed at the bottom; a movable section 13 whichmoves vertically; and four guiding poles 14 the bottom ends of which areprovided on the base 12, and which are projected upward to pierce themovable section 13 so as to guide the operation of the movable section13. The movable section 13 is biased by four springs 17 so as to bepositioned on the upper side of the guiding poles 14 in a normalcondition where no force is applied by a user. The ends of the springs17 are attached to top ends 15 that are respectively provided on theguiding poles 14, and the other ends thereof are attached to fourprojections 16 that are provided on the movable section 13.

On the base 12 is mounted a container 18 and a wound body 19 in stackedcondition. In the container 18, a plurality of wells 20 are arranged inmatrix form (in this example, a matrix of 16 columns×24 lines). Therespective wells 20 store or are capable of storing various solutionscontaining samples to be distributed on a string-like or thread-likefoundation member described later, at column distribution intervals ofthe matrix. The wound body 19 is wound by the foundation member atwinding intervals of line corresponding to the matrix (the foundationmember is not shown for the sake of clarity of the drawing).

The movable section 13 has a distributing section 21 on which aplurality of holding ends projecting downwards and having the functionof holding the various solutions, are arranged in matrix form.

FIG. 2 shows the sample distributing device 11 shown in FIG. 1 inexploded detail.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the movable section 13 has a movable plate 23provided with a hole 22 having an approximately rectangular opening inthe center. Four corners of the movable plate 23 are provided with guideholes through which the guiding poles 14 pierce, and the movable plate23 is vertically movable along the guiding poles 14. On the side facesof the movable plate 23 are provided four projections 16 for supportingone end of the springs 17.

Moreover, the base 12 is provided with an indentation 24 having anapproximately rectangular opening in the center. An oblong indentation25 is provided beside the indentation 24. The four corners of the base12 are provided with the guiding poles 14 so as to project therefrom.

A mainframe 27 of the approximately rectangular distributing section 21shown in FIG. 2 (b) is firmly fitted into the hole 22, and is supportedand attached to the movable plate 23 by a flange 26 extruding sidewardon the top of the mainframe 27. The mainframe 27 is formed in a shallowbox shape having the top opened, and a plurality of holding ends 28 (384in this example) projecting downwards are arranged in matrix form (16columns×24 lines in this example) on the bottom of the mainframe 27.

Moreover, the wound body 19 shown in FIG. 2 (d) on which the container18 shown in FIG. 2 (c) is stacked, is mounted to firmly fit with theposition of the indentation 24 in the base 12. In the microplate-likecontainer 18 shown in FIG. 2 (c), a plurality of wells 20 (384 in thisexample) are arranged in matrix form (16 columns×24 lines in thisexample) and in a grid. The respective wells 20 can store solutionscontaining various samples. The holding ends 28 are arranged so thatthey can be inserted at once into the wells 20. Furthermore, the woundbody 19 shown in FIG. 2 (d) has a plate 29 of an overall approximatelyrectangular shape. In the top face of the plate 29 is provided aplurality of striations 30 (24 in this example) parallel to the linesand at a spacing for winding the lines of the matrix, and also isprovided a plurality of concavities 31 (16 per each line in thisexample) at the distribution intervals of the column, along thestriations 30. The positioning is performed such that, when the movableplate 23 is lowered until the holding ends 28 come into contact with theplate 29, the holding ends 28 are in contact in the respectiveconcavities 31. The plate 29 is wound with the foundation member alongthe striations 30. Reference symbol 32 denotes a shaft supporting holefor supporting the plate 29 in the sample assembling device, that willbe described later. The hole is also provided in the correspondingopposite side face. Reference symbol 33 denotes a catch for detachablyattaching, for example a metal rod 37 which movably supports a core 38that will be described later.

FIG. 3 specifically shows the wound body 19 in more detail. As shown inFIG. 3 (a) or (b), an edge 34 of the plate 29 of the wound body 19 isformed with corrugations, so that the foundation member to be wound canpass over a recess 35. Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and (e), agroove 36 is formed on the inside of the edge 34. Since the foundationmember is wound around the plate 29, and the foundation member isarranged in parallel with the lines of the matrix on the top face andthe reverse face, then as shown in FIG. 3 (b) to FIG. 3 (d), thearrangement position of the foundation member is shifted by half of thepitch between the respective lines, on the top face and the reverseface. For example, in the International Standard 384-well microplate,the pitch (intervals) between the respective wells is 4.5 mm, equal tothe winding intervals and the distribution intervals. Therefore thepitches on the top face and the reverse face are shifted by 2.25 mm.

FIG. 4 shows a metal rod 37 to be detachably attached to the catches 33that are provided on the plate 29 of the wound body 19, and a core 38which is slidably supported onto the rod 37. The core 38 is forassembling the arrangement of the thread-like foundation member byrolling up the thread-like foundation member that is wound around thewound body 19 at the winding intervals of line of the matrix, atnarrower intervals than the winding intervals. The core 38 is formed forexample from a plastic such as polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetate,polyethylene, polypropylene, polysulphone, polyvinylidene 2 fluoride,teflon (registered trademark) or a metal. The surface of the core 38 isalso preferably formed with striations for guiding the winding of thefoundation member.

The core 38 is hollow having a cylindrical hole 39 inside. One endthereof is provided with a stopper 40 so as to cover a part of thecylindrical hole 39. The rod 37 is in a cylindrical shape having adiameter capable of passing through the cylindrical hole 39, and has aside face 41 made by cutting off a part of the cylinder by a plane alongthe axis. Rotation of the core 38 with respect to the rod 37 is stoppedby engagement of the rod 37 with the stopper 40. Therefore, the core 38is movable and detachable along the rod 37, and the core 38 rotatestogether with the rotation of the rod 37. Reference symbol 42 denotes aslit for attaching an end portion of the foundation member wound aroundthe wound body 19 to the core 38. In this manner, since the wound body19, the rod 37, and the core 38 are joined via the foundation member,then they are preferably treated as an integrated body with the rod 37attached to the catches 33, in a condition with the core 38 fitted tothe rod 37.

Using the sample distributing device 11 according to the presentembodiment, solutions containing samples to be distributed to thefoundation member are stored in the respective wells 20 of the container18. Moreover, the preparation is performed in the following manner. Thethread-like or string-like foundation member serving as an object of thesample distribution is wound around the wound body 19, along thestriations 30 in the plate 29. One end of the foundation member isinserted into and attached to the slit 42 of the core 38. The core 38 isfitted to the rod 37 by passing the rod 37 through the cylindrical hole39 thereof, and is then attached to the catches 33 of the wound body 19.As shown in FIG. 1, the wound body 19 thus assembled is mounted in theindentation 24 in the base 12, so that the rod 37 having the core 38fitted thereon is positioned in the indentation 25. The container 18 isstacked thereon. Next, the distributing section 21 is firmly fitted andattached into the hole 22 of the movable plate 23.

Next, in order to move the movable plate 23 downward, a user lowers themovable plate 23 by applying a force from above the movable plate 23, sothat the respective holding ends 28 are inserted into the respectivewells 20 of the container 18 so as to come into contact with the storedsolutions. When it is confirmed that the respective holding ends 28 arein contact with the solutions, the user releases the force that has beenapplied to the movable plate 23, to thereby move the movable plate 23upwards by the elastic force of the springs 17, and return it to theupper position that is the normal condition where no force is applied.

Next, the user removes the container 18 that has been mounted on thewound body 19 from the wound body 19. In the condition where the woundbody 19 only is mounted on the base 12, in order to move the movableplate 23 downward again, the user lowers the movable plate 23 byapplying a force from above the movable plate 23 until the respectiveholding ends 28 come into contact with the respective concavities 31provided in the top face of the plate 29 of the wound body 19 having thefoundation member wound therearound. When it is confirmed that therespective holding ends 28 are in contact with the foundation member,the user release the force that has been applied to the movable plate23, to thereby move the movable plate 23 upward by the elastic force ofthe springs 17, and return it to the upper position that is the normalcondition where no force is applied.

Next, the user turns the wound body 19 upside down. At this time, it isturned around so that the rod 37 attached to the wound body 19 ispositioned in the indentation 25 of the base 12. By so doing, theposition of the foundation member on the reverse face becomes the sameas that of the top face. Samples can be distributed in the reverse facetoo, by the procedure as described for the top face. Regarding thecontents of the container 18, if different samples from the samples forthe top face are used, the distributing section 21 and the container 18need to be replaced by other ones. Moreover, the distributing section 21can be reused by washing the respective holding ends 28.

The sample assembling device 50 according to the present embodiment asshown in FIG. 5 is described, for the case where the array of thefoundation member is assembled by taking off the foundation member fromthe wound body that has been wound with the foundation member on whichthe respective samples have been distributed or immobilized in thismanner, and rolling it up around the core 38.

The sample assembling device 50 according to the present embodiment hasa horizontal board 51, two vertical boards 52 and 53 which are fixed tothe horizontal board 51 being attached in parallel with each other, anda horizontal bar 54 which is spanned so as to connect between thevertical board 52 and the vertical board 53 for reinforcement.

The vertical board 52 is provided with a sun gear 55 secured by screws.An arm section 57 which rotatably supports a planetary gear 56 thatrevolves around the sun gear 55 while meshing with the sun gear 55, hasa pivot shaft on one end which is concentric with the sun gear 55. Thepivot shaft is pivotally supported by the vertical board 52. The pivotshaft of the arm section 57 is concentrically connected via a couplingto a rotation shaft of a handwheel 59 fitted with a handle 58 formanually rotating by a user.

The wound body 19 wound with the foundation member on which the sampleshave been distributed, is pivotally supported so as to match the centralaxis of the sun gear 55. At this time, the foundation member on thewound body 19 is wound so as to wrap around the axis of rotation, and sothat the winding direction of the foundation member on the respectivesurfaces becomes orthogonal to the direction of the axis of rotation. Onthe other hand, the rod 37 is attached so as to be in parallel with theaxis of rotation of the wound body 19 and so as to project into the armsection 57. The rod 37 pierces through and holds the core 38 to which isattached one end of the foundation member wound around the wound body19, and is driven by the planetary gear 56 to rotate the core 38 aboutthe axis of the rod 37.

The core 38 held by the rod 37 is held so as to be sandwiched in theaxial direction of the rod, by a core holding member 60. By moving thecore holding member 60, the core 38 can be moved along the rod 37. Thecore holding member 60 is in a cross-sectional reverse C shape, and hasan engaging groove 61 which engages with the rod 37. Moreover it ismovably attached via a supporting member (reference symbol 68 in FIG. 7)to a guide rail 62 that is provided so as to project from the armsection 57 in parallel with the rod 37. Since the core holding member 60has a slightly longer length than the height of the core 38 andsandwiches the core 38 along the rod 37 direction, the core 38 is heldso as to be rotatable according to the rotation of the rod 37.

The core holding member 60 is engaged with a cross-sectional crescentshaped (or cross-sectional semicircular shaped) nut section 64orthogonal to the axial direction, which is screwed onto a ball screw 63which is provided so as to project from the arm section 57 in parallelwith the axial direction of the rod 37 (the direction of the lines ofthe wound body) and is driven to rotate by the planetary gear 56. Bytranslationally moving the nut section 64 by rotation of the ball screw63, the core holding member 60 which engages with the nut section 64,and consequently the core 38, is pushed by the nut section 64 and movedalong the rod 37. The cross-sectional crescent shaped nut section 64 isscrewed onto the ball screw 63 so that it is not detached as long as thecore holding member 60 which is engaged with the nut section 64 issupported by the guide rail 62 and is engaged with the rod 37.

The ends of the rod 37 and the ball screw 63 on the opposite side to theends on the side attached to the arm section 57 are rotatably supportedby a circular plate 65. The circular plate 65 is detachably lock-screwedonto the strut 66 and the guide rail 62, which each have one endattached to the arm section 57. When the rod 37 holding the core 38 istaken off by removing the circular plate 65, the core holding member 60no longer engages with the nut section 64, and the crescent shaped nutsection 64 can be readily taken off from the ball screw 63. Therefore,it is not necessary to put the nut section 64 back to the originalposition while screwing it along the ball screw 63, and the initialcondition of movement can be quickly restored, thus facilitatinghandling. Reference symbol 67 denotes a cover which covers the end ofthe rod 37, and is furnished with a bearing for rotatably supporting theother end of the rod 37.

The vertical board 53 is provided with a handle 69 which manuallyrotates the shaft for rotatably supporting the wound body 19, to adjustthe angle of the wound body 19, and a spring 70 which biases to keep thewound body 19 horizontal in a normal condition where no force isapplied.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the sample assembling device 50shown in FIG. 5 from the opposite direction. As shown in FIG. 6, thereverse side of the vertical board 53 has a holding member 71 whichswingably holds the wound body 19, and a spring 72 for reliably holdingthe holding member 71 by pressing in the axial direction.

FIG. 7 is for describing in detail the gear mechanism of the sampleassembling device 50. FIG. 7 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken alongthe line A-A of the sample assembling device 50 shown in FIG. 7 (a).

A rotation shaft 73 of the handwheel 59 is connected to a spindle 74 viaa coupling 75. The spindle 74 pierces through a hole bored in the centerof the fixed member 77 for fixing the sun gear 55 to the vertical board52 and the sun gear 55, and is fixed at the end of the base body 78 ofthe arm section 57 by an attaching screw 76. The tip of the spindle 74is formed in a tapered shape, and pivotally supports the wound body 19by engaging in a bearing hole 32 of the wound body 19. Consequently, ifthe handwheel 59 is driven to rotate, only the arm section 57 isrotated.

The arm section 57 is provided with an intermediate gear 79 with apredetermined number of teeth, which meshes with the fixed sun gear 55having a predetermined number of teeth, in a rotatable manner.Furthermore, the arm section 57 is provided with a planetary gear 56with a predetermined number of teeth, which is fixed concentrically withthe intermediate gear 79, in a rotatable manner. The arm section 57 hasa gear 80 for rotating the rod 37, with a predetermined number of teeth,which meshes with the planetary gear 56 and is driven to rotate by theplanetary gear 56. Furthermore, the arm section 57 has a gear 81 whichmeshes with the gear 80 for driving to rotate the ball screw 63.

Here is a specific description of the gear mechanism.

Now, it is assumed that the column directional length of the wound body19 is 120 mm, the line directional length thereof is 80 mm, the lengthof the foundation member traversing the thickness portion is 4 mm (thefoundation member obliquely traverses the thickness since the windingroute of the foundation member is shifted by a half pitch on the topface and the reverse face), and the foundation member where the samplesare distributed in a matrix of 16 columns×24 lines is wound along theline direction. Moreover, it is assumed that the winding intervals ofline and the distribution intervals of the column are 4.5 mm. It isassumed that, during one rotation of the arm section 57, the core 38rotates 10 times. As a result, the foundation member for one line woundaround the wound body 19 is rolled up. In this case, the length of thefoundation member is (80 mm+4 mm)×2=168 mm. Since 168 mm corresponds to10 times the circumference of the core 38, the diameter of the core 38becomes 168 mm/10/3.14=5.35 mm. Moreover, in order to set so that thecore 38 rotates 10 times during one rotation of the arm section 57, forexample, the setting may be such that the sun gear 55 has a number ofteeth of 80 Z and a diameter of 48 mm, the intermediate gear 79 whichmeshes with the sun gear 55 has a number of teeth of 16 Z and a diameterof 12.80 mm, the planetary gear 56 is fixed concentrically with theintermediate gear 79 and has a number of teeth of 40 Z and a diameter of32 mm, and the gear which meshes with the planetary gear 56 to rotatethe core 38 has a number of teeth of 20 Z and a diameter of 16 mm. As aresult, the planetary speed reduction ratio becomes(80:16)×(40:20)=10:1, and the core 38 rotates 10 times during onerotation (360 degree) of the arm section 57, while the foundation memberfor one line is rolled up around the core 38.

Moreover, during ten rotations of the core 38, the core 38 needs to bemoved by 1 pitch (=4.5 mm) in the column direction, that is along therod 37. Now, assuming that the thickness of the foundation member is0.07 mm, the feed pitch for one rotation of the core 38 by the ballscrew 63 is (4.5−0.07×10)/10=0.38 mm. The gear and the ball screw can beselected in the above manner.

In the above case, the effective roll length of the foundation member is240×5.35×3.14=4033.8 mm (768 spots). In the case where the foundationmember is closely rolled up on the core 38, the effective length of theroll portion is 0.07×240=16.8 mm.

Next is a description of an operation where, using the sample assemblingdevice 50, the foundation member that has been wound around the woundbody 19 is rolled up around the core 38 so as to assemble the array ofthe foundation member.

As shown in FIG. 5, the wound body 19 which is wound along the linedirection with the foundation member on which the samples are arrayed,is adjusted so that the tip of the spindle 74 is positioned in thebearing hole 32, and is then attached thereinto by pressing by theholding member 71 and the spring 72. At this time, the rod 37 that hasbeen held by piercing through the core 38 attached to the catch 33 ofthe wound body 19, is taken off, and attached to the arm section 57, andthe core 38 is held by being sandwiched by the core holding member 60.Then, the circular plate 65 is attached by lock-screwing into the strut66 and the guide rail 62. The core 38 is previously attached with oneend of the wound foundation member.

The user rotates the arm section 57 by rotating the handwheel 59 in thedirection to take off the foundation member from the wound body 19. Byso doing, the core 38 revolves around the wound body 19. As a result,the foundation member is sequentially taken off from the wound body 19one line at a time. At this time, the wound body 19 does not rotatesince it is pivotally supported by the spindle at one point.

The core 38 rotates corresponding to the rotation of the rod 37, androlls up the foundation member that has been taken off from the woundbody 19, while being pushed to move in the column direction by beingengaged with the nut section 64 which is screwed with the ball screw 63and moves in the column direction. At this time, regarding thefoundation member that has been wound around the pivotally supportedwound body 19 and is being taken off, a tension is applied to thefoundation member on the edge 35 at the edge of the wound body 19, andso that the foundation member does not become loose, the wound body 19is brought back to the original condition by the elastic force of thespring 70, or the tension is adjusted manually using the handle 69. Inthis manner, the wound body 19 swings in the pivotally supportedcondition. According to the calculation, in the example described above(the case where the length of the wound body is 120 mm in the column and80 mm in the line direction), the angle of swing with respect to thebearing point of the wound body 19 is 25.16 degree. In the deviceaccording to the present embodiment, since the tension is applied to thefoundation member on the edge 35 at the edge of the wound body 19, andno sample is distributed on the foundation member positioned in thevicinity of the edge 35, then the distributed samples are not negativelyaffected by the contact or the tension, and hence reliability is high.

In this manner, the manufactured core 38 is a sample assembly on whichthe samples are assembled and arrayed in cylindrical form.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, preferably the handling of the core 38 isfacilitated by attaching and fitting a cap 84 for closing thecylindrical hole of the core 38, to the opening on the bottom side ofthe core 38, and at the top side of the core 38, fitting the bottom endof a stem 85 having a predetermined length for storing in a pipette tip83, to the opening in the top end of the core. As shown in the cut awayview of FIG. 8, the core 38 attached with the cap 84 and the stem 85 inthis manner, may be stored in the pipette tip 83 as a sample assembly 82that is used by attaching to a nozzle of a dispenser which can draw anddischarge a liquid.

The cap 84 is formed with a gap through which a fluid can pass, betweenitself and the inner wall of the pipette tip 83, so as to not stop theflow of fluid when the cap 84 is attached to the pipette tip 83.Moreover, the stem 85 is also provided with a gap between itself and theinner wall of the pipette tip 83, so as to not stop the flow of fluid.

Next is a description of a sample arraying/assembling device formanufacturing a sample assembly according to another embodiment, itsmethod, and an apparatus using a sample assembly, with reference to FIG.9 to FIG. 15.

FIG. 9 shows a sample arraying/assembling device according to theembodiment, its method, and an apparatus using a sample assembly.

The sample arraying/assembling device and the apparatus using a sampleassembly has a core 120 as a sample assembly or an assembled body, apipette tip 122, a hand pipetter 124, a scanner device 126 serving asthe optical information acquisition section, a controller 127, and apersonal computer 128. Moreover, in the examination, a rotating section130 which is provided on a fixing stage for when adhering andimmobilizing the sample for examination to the core 120, and which ismanually rotated intermittently at a predetermined angle, and acontainer 32 in which is stored the solution for performing the reactionwith the target biological material, are used.

In this embodiment, the core 120 is an octagonal prism. This is because,by this shape, the sample may be immobilized on the eight flat faces ina rectangular shape formed on the side faces, thus facilitating theimmobilization, and also facilitating the positioning when the opticaltreatment is performed, so that the overall structure of the device canbe simplified and the handling can be facilitated. If the core 120 is anoctagonal prism, the predetermined angle is suitably 45 degree. Inaddition, a polygonal prism such as a hexagonal prism or a polygonaltubular body may be employed for the core 120 so as to immobilize thesample on the flat faces formed on the respective surfaces. Moreover itmay be in the shape of a column or a cylinder.

As shown in FIG. 9, the core 120 is horizontally attachable (detachable)and concentric with respect to the rotating section 130 which has itsrotational axis in the horizontal direction. Moreover, the core 120 isprovided with spot marks 138 (mark) in spotting positions where thesamples are previously adhered and immobilized. The examiner adheres andimmobilizes the sample 140 using the spot marks 138 as an eyemark. Inthis manner, by setting the spotting position at the position shown bythe spot marks 138, simplification of the device for detecting reaction,and simplification of the processing is achieved.

Moreover, instead of the spot mark 138, concavities for spotting may beprovided. Furthermore, spot pieces previously adhered with the samplesmay be pasted on. The sample may be in a glue form so that the conditionof adhesion can be readily recognized by the eye. Moreover, many samplesare normally transparent, however samples mixed with coloring matter(non fluorescence or low level of fluorescence) may be used tofacilitate confirmation of the adhesion. Alternatively the types ofcolors may be separated according to the types of the samples.

In this embodiment, for example, four positions for the spot marks 138are provided in fixed positions in the lengthwise direction of one flatface of the core 120. Since the core 120 is an octagonal prism, if thesamples are immobilized on all of the eight faces, 4×8, that is 32 fixedpositions can be provided.

Regarding the number of samples 140 to be immobilized on one flat faceof the core 120, about four to eight are appropriate considering thesimplification of the device. However, any other plural number may beemployed. According to the easiness of immobilization of the samples140, and the necessary number of the samples for immobilization, a formis preferred where the core is octagonal and the number of the samples140 to be immobilized on one flat face is six (the total number of thesamples in this case is 8×6=48).

In this manner, by setting the position of the spot mark and the like asa previously determined fixed position, only the fixed position need bemeasured at the time of analysis. Therefore the processing can be simplyperformed, so that simplification of the processing can be achieved. Forthe material of the core 120, a molding of plastic such as nylon,polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetate, and polyethylene is used. An elasticnylon is preferred from the viewpoint of easiness of production oreasiness of sample adhesion.

FIG. 10 shows a core 121 according to another embodiment of the presentinvention. The mainframe 116 of the core 121 is formed in a cylindricalshape. At the bottom of a part projecting upward from the mainframe 116is formed an octagonal holder 118. On the surface of the mainframe 116corresponding to each face of the octagon of the holder 118 is providedsix concavities 119 for adhering and immobilizing the samples 140 inpredetermined fixed positions in the axial direction.

By the concavities 119, adherence 8 of the samples 140 can be accuratelyand readily achieved. Instead of the concavities 119, spot marks orpieces containing the samples may be pasted on. The positioning of theholder 118 with respect to the holding member 170 can be accurately andreadily performed, by providing an octagonal hole in the holding member170 of the rotating section 131 which is provided on a later mentionedfixing stage and is intermittently rotatable by hand for eachpredetermined angle, and inserting the holder 118 thereinto to connect.In this case, the predetermined angle is 45 degree.

Moreover, the top of the mainframe 116 of the core 121 is provided withconvex portions 115 at three positions around the circumference. Thebottom of the mainframe 116 is formed in a conical taper, and on thispart is formed a plurality of blades 117 which project axially andoutwards. When the core 121 is inserted into the pipette tip 122, therespective convex portions 115 come into contact with a large diameterportion 158, and the gap clearance between the core 121 and the largediameter portion 158 becomes even. Therefore the reactivity with thesolution is improved, and the required amount of solution for thedrawing and discharging may be smaller. Moreover, due to the blades 117,foaming of the solution can be prevented at the time of drawing anddischarging. Moreover break up of the solution (water break) isimproved, thus improving the efficiency of processing.

FIG. 11 (a) shows a condition where the core 120 in an octagonal prismshape, is attached to the rotating section 131 provided on a fixingstage in another embodiment. When the samples 140 are adhered, the core120 is attached to the tip of the octagonal prism shaped holding member170 via a connecting member 172. In the rotating section 131,spring-plates 176 are fixed to face each other on a pedestal 174, andthe bias force of these spring-plates 176 is used to pinch the holdingmember 170 to hold. The positioning of the core 120 becomes possible byturning a handle 177 provided at the end of the holding member 170.Moreover, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), it is possible to store the core 120attached to the holding member 170 into the pipette tip 122 describedbelow as it is, and it is detached from the holding member 170 afterbeing stored.

As shown in FIG. 9, the hand pipetter 124 has a pipette tip 122 servingas a storage section for the core 120, and a drawing and dischargingsection 146 for drawing and discharging with respect to the pipette tip122. The drawing and discharging section 146 is provided with a cylinder148, a piston 150, and a nozzle portion 152 which is communicated withthe cylinder 148 through a pipe. The examiner operates the handle 154connected to the piston 150 to perform drawing and discharging by thepipette tip 122.

The pipette tip 122 has: an attachment portion 157 which is detachablyattached to the nozzle portion 152 via an O-ring or the like; a smalldiameter portion 156 which has one inlet-outlet at the tip, enablinginsertion of the hand pipetter 124 into an external container 132; and alarge diameter portion 158 which is provided between the small diameterportion 156 and the attachment portion 157, and has a larger diameterthan the small diameter portion 156, for storing the core 120. Theopening of the attachment portion 157 becomes a storing port forinserting and storing the core 120.

As shown in FIG. 12, the scanner device 126 has: a rotating mechanism180 corresponding to the rotating section, for positioning; asemiconductor laser 160 serving as the optical information acquisitionsection, as an exciting light source; a microlens array 162; a line CCD164; and a CPU 168 serving as the controller 127 installed with an A/Dconverter 166 and a microcomputer. The semiconductor laser 160 is forirradiating exciting light onto the core 120 stored in the pipette tip122, and it irradiates the core 120 in the axial direction.

The rotating mechanism 180 is a mechanism which performs positioning forscanning the periphery of the core 120 stored in the pipette tip 122. Asshown in FIG. 13 (a), the rotating mechanism 180 has a positioningflange 182, a holding stage 186, a positioning pressing body 189, and soon.

As shown in FIG. 13 (b), the positioning flange 182 is formed in atubular shape and has a circular bore 183. The periphery on the top sideis enlarged and is provided with an octagonal positioning side face 184.Moreover the periphery on the bottom side is formed in a circular shape.The positioning flange 182 is capable of holding the large diameterportion 158 of the pipette tip 122 in a condition fitted into the bore183.

The positioning side face 184 of the positioning flange 182 is engagedin the bore 187 in the holding stage 186, to hold and fix the pipettetip 122. Moreover, the positioning pressing body 189 is provided in acontact state with the periphery of the positioning side face 184 of thepositioning flange 182, and presses the octagonal positioning side face184 by the bias force of the coiled spring 188. As a result, the pipettetip 122 is positioned in units of 45° (360°/8).

In the rotating mechanism 180, when the attachment portion 157 at thetip end of the pipette tip 122 is rotated by an examiner, the pipettetip 122 can be freely rotated while sliding inside the bore in theoctagonal positioning flange 182. By this rotation, it is possible toadjust the direction of the rotation of the pipette tip 122 with respectto the positioning flange 182. Moreover, when the positioning flange 182is manually rotated, then due to the pressure of the coiled spring 188,the positioning flange 182 is positioned and fixed so that therespective faces of the octagon are positioned orthogonal to thepressing direction of the pressing body 189.

As shown in FIG. 14 (a), regarding the form of irradiation from theexciting light source, a semiconductor laser 178 fitted with a linegenerator capable of linearly diffusing laser beams can be used todiffusion irradiate the detection surface 181. Moreover, as shown inFIG. 14 (b), the form may be such that emitters such as high-intensitylight-emitting diodes (LED) 179 fitted with condensing lenses accordingto the number of the detection spots 185 on the detection surface 181,are arranged in one line so as to irradiate at the same time. In thismanner, if the light from each light-emitting diode is condensed, theobtained intensity would be equal to that for the case where light of aseveral mW laser is diffused by a line generator. Moreover the cost islow even if the same number of light-emitting diodes as that of thedetection spots 185 are arranged.

The microlens array 162 is for condensing fluorescent light (spot light)emitted from the core 120. Moreover, the line CCD 164 converts thedetected spot light into electric signals. The A/D converter 166 is forconverting the electric signals into digital signals that can beanalyzed by a computer. The CPU 168 has a control function, and convertsthe image data from the scanner device 126 into digital signals by theA/D converter 166, and sends this image data to the personal computer128.

FIG. 15 shows various embodiments of structures where fluorescent lightfrom the detection surface 181 is received and converted into electricsignals, which are then converted into digital signals by the A/Dconverter 166. FIG. 15 (a) shows a light receiving and convertingstructure having; a microlens array 190, an emission filter 191,photodiode arrays 192, an analog multiplexer 193, and an A/D converter166. This light receiving and converting mechanism is provided with thesame number of photodiodes as that of the detection spots 185 on thedetection surface 181, and is for selecting electric signalssequentially from the respective photodiodes, by the analog multiplexer193, and sending them to the A/D converter 166.

FIG. 15 (b) shows a light receiving and converting structure having; anemission filter 191, lensed photodiodes 194, an analog multiplexer 193,and an A/D converter 166. The light receiving and converting mechanismis provided with the lensed photodiodes 194 instead of the microlensarray 190. Moreover, here the same number of lensed photodiodes 194 asthat of the detection spots 185 on the detection surface 181 arearranged one to one, to thereby enable effective detection. FIG. 15 (c)shows a light receiving and converting structure having; a microlensarray 190, an emission filter 191, a low resolution line CCD 195, and anA/D converter 166. In the light receiving and converting structure, byusing the line CCD 195, the degree of freedom of the spotting positionand the number can be increased, and the structure can be made at lowcost.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 12, the structure is such that the CPU 168and the personal computer 128 can be connected by a USB port. Thereforea commercially available personal computer 128 can be used. The personalcomputer 128 analyzes the image data and displays the recognized resultson the display screen, and outputs to a printer.

Here is a description of a procedure for evaluating the storing andreacting using the above device.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the core 120 is attached and fixed onto therotating section 130 which is provided so that the rotation axis ishorizontal, so as to match the positions of the central axes. Theexaminer adheres and immobilizes the samples 140 in the positions of thespot marks 138 previously provided on the core 120, using a droppingpipette or the like. There are a plurality of samples 140, which areadhered and immobilized with for example, various oligonucleotideshaving already-known base sequences. Next, the rotating section 130 isrotated through a predetermined angle, for adhering and immobilizing onthe next side face, and this is repeated for the eight side faces.Alternatively, in the case where the rotating section 131 provided onthe fixing stage is used for adhering the samples 140 onto the octagonalprism core 120, then as described above, the eight faces on the core 120are respectively positioned by turning the handle 177 of the holdingmember 170, and the examiner adheres and immobilizes the samples 140 atthe respective fixed positions.

At this time, the adhesion is performed with the respective chemicalstructures of the samples and the respective fixed positions associatedwith each other. This standardizes the examination result. Moreover,instead of the samples, a marker using luminescent substances or thelike may be adhered and immobilized to the specific position. The markerbecomes the standard for specifying the position of the samples, and isset to show the standard strength of the quantitative information.Moreover, if a marker on a specific position is defined to show theinitial position, the images can be recognized using the marker as theinitial point of the image recognition.

As shown in FIG. 13, a marker 141 showing the standard face may bespotted on the bottom most side (while being stored in the pipette tip)of the core 120. Based on this marker 141, the position having thegreatest fluorescence is searched in the free stop condition, and therotation position of the core 120 in the pipette tip 122 with respect tothe positioning flange 182 is positioned in the appropriate position.Then, by intermittently rotating the octagonal positioning flange 182,spots on the other faces can be accurately measured.

When the immobilization onto the one flat face of the core 120 iscompleted, the core 120 is turned to orient the next flat face, to whichposition the samples 140 are adhered and fixed. Similarly, the examinerfixes the samples 140 onto the respective flat faces of the eight places(one face, a plurality of faces, or all eight faces).

Next, the examiner stores the core 120 into the pipette tip 122 of thehand pipetter 124. Then, the small diameter portion 156 of the pipettetip 122 is inserted into the container 132, and the solution in thecontainer 132 is drawn until the core 120 is soaked by the drawing anddischarging section 146 of the hand pipetter 124, and is thendischarged. The operation is repeated for several times. By so doing,DNA in the solution is absorbed onto the samples 140 of the core 120.Next, in a thermostat provided with a Peltier element, a probe solutionwhich is a mixture of the predetermined sample and a liquid suspendedwith the target material that has been labeled with fluorescentsubstances and the like, is previously heated at about 95° C., and thencooled down, so as to adjust the solution into a the form to facilitatehybridization.

Furthermore, the small diameter portion 156 of the pipette tip 122 ismoved and inserted into the container of the thermostat, and theincubation is performed for about several minutes to several hours tomake it react. After the reaction, the small diameter portion 156 isinserted into a container (not shown) in which is stored a cleaningsolution at room temperature, and is washed by shaking, to remove theexcessive probe solution suspended with the target material and thelike.

Then, the washed core 120 is scanned from the outside of the pipette tip122 using the scanner device 126, and measured. Firstly, the examinermakes the pipette tip 122 storing the core 120, be supported on thepositioning flange 182 of the rotating mechanism 180. At this time, thepositioning pressing body 189 is directly pressed against thepositioning side face 184 of the positioning flange 182, and thepositioning is performed by the bias force of the coiled spring 188.

Here, the examiner switches the mode of the scanner device 126 to themonitor mode (spot measurement value is shown in real time). Next, theexaminer turns the attachment portion 157 of the pipette tip 122 byhand, to search for the greatest value of the monitor value, and themonitor mode is complete. This position is the optimum angle positionfor the measurement. After this the optimum positioning can be performedby merely turning the positioning flange 182. At this time, if a markerfor specifying the. position is used, and in the monitor mode, thismarker is made the standard for judging the position where the monitorvalue becomes greater, then accurate positions can be relatively readilydetermined. After the positioning, the examiner turns the positioningflange 182 to sequentially position the respective faces of the octagon,and the measurement is started from the first face of the core 120.

Next, when the examiner pushes a measurement button (not shown), thestart signal of measurement is notified to the CPU 168 to start thestoring and reacting measurement. Then, based on the control of the CPU168, laser beams are outputted by the semiconductor laser 160longitudinally along the axial direction of the large diameter portion158 of the pipette tip 122, irradiating all spots (samples) on one faceof the core 120. The laser beams irradiated from the semiconductor laser160 excite the fluorescent substance.

The fluorescent light (spot light) from the samples of the core 120,generated by the irradiated laser beams, is received through themicrolens array 162 onto the line CCD 164, and converted intopredetermined electric signals. The electric signals are converted intodigital signals through the A/D converter 166. The CPU 68 sequentiallysends the signals to the personal computer 128 for each spot.

Next, by rotating the pipette tip 122, each fixed position and thequalitative and quantitative information of the fixed position can beobtained. At this time, there is manual rotation and electric rotation.

As shown in FIG. 13, in the case of manual rotation, the rotation isstopped with a predetermined click feeling for each 45° (360°/8) of therotation angle, and the octagonal positioning side face 184 is pressedby the bias force of the coiled spring 188, and positioned in a balancedand suitable position. Then, the examiner pushes a measurement button,to inform the start of the measurement to the CPU 168. On receiving thestart signal, the CPU 168 operates the semiconductor laser 160 so thatthe semiconductor laser 160 scans one face of the core 120, and the spotlight of the core 120 is received and converted into electric signals,and sent to the personal computer 128. Hereafter the positioning flange182 is manually rotated intermittently in the same manner, and the spotinformation of the core 120 is sent to the personal computer 128.

In the case of the electric rotation, after the previous processing, bya command from the CPU 168, a predetermined number of pulses are appliedto a pulse motor, to rotate the connected attachment portion 157 of thepipette tip 122 by 45 degrees. A similar operation to the case when thestart signal is received, is performed hereafter. The spot light of thecore 120 is received and converted into electric signals, and sent tothe personal computer 128. Furthermore, pulses are applied to a pulsemotor to rotate the connected attachment portion 157, and the spotinformation of the core 120 is sent to the personal computer 128.

The personal computer 128 assembles the spot information, and analyzesand dissects it as image data, and judges the fluorescent spot light byimage recognition. The result is displayed on the display device, andprinted by the printer. At this time, since the array, the interval, andthe like of the spot can all be comprehended as a fixed value,recognition of the position of the spot light is performed by simpleprocessing. Moreover, when the position is recognized, noise processingbecomes unnecessary, and the processing can be performed by a simplejudgment for just the presence or absence of the spot light.

Consequently, according to the embodiment, there is an effect of beingable to obtain: a sample arraying/assembling device with which thesample can be readily adhered onto a fixed position of the core, thepipette tip can be positioned, light can be irradiated and received witha simple structure, the sample can be measured and the reaction resultcan be displayed simply at low cost, being economically superior, aswell as stable and superior in terms of accuracy; its method; and anapparatus using a sample assembly.

In the above description, the core 120 may be coated with a membrane asthe member.

The respective embodiments described above are specific explanations forbetter understanding of the present invention, and are not to beconsidered as limiting other embodiments. Consequently, modificationscan be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.For example, the number, the size, or the shape of respective membersused in the above embodiment, are not limited to these explanations. Forexample, the number or the arraying method of the containers or theholding ends are not limited to the above case. Moreover, in thedescription, an example was described in which the core is revolvedwhile rotating around the wound body. However, the invention is notlimited to this case, and the case may be such that the wound body isrevolved around the core, or that the wound body and the core arerevolved about each other. Moreover, at this time, there are cases wherethe core rotates, where the wound body rotates, and where both rotate.

Moreover, the mechanism such as the gears used for the description isnothing more than one example, and other mechanisms enabling to realizethe scope of the invention may be used. Furthermore, the shape of thecore is also not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be in a prismshape.

The shape of the wound body is also not limited to a plate shape, andmay be in a prism shape. In this case, samples can be distributed atleast on three sides or more, having higher efficiency.

In the above description, the holding ends of the distributing sectionare inserted into the respective wells of the separately providedcontainer, so as to hold solutions containing the samples. However, theinvention is not limited to the above case, and the holding endsthemselves may be formed so as to be communicated with the liquidstoring sections which store the solution containing the samples. Assuch an example, holes may be opened in the bottom of the microplate,and the holding ends provided so as to be communicated with therespective wells. As a result, the container and the distributingsection can be integrated so as to increase the working efficiency, andthe solution containing the same sample can be distributed to a largenumber of the foundation members.

In the above description, the vertical movement of the distributingsection and the rotating of the arm section of the sample assemblingdevice are performed manually. However, a motor may be provided to drivethem by the motor.

As an example of the apparatus using a sample assembly, there is onlydescribed a sample assembly where the samples are directly arrayed onthe core. However, a sample assembly where the string-like foundationmember is wound around the core, or a case where a film like member suchas a membrane is coated thereon, can be applied.

In the above description, the columns are spaced as the distributionintervals, and the lines are spaced as the winding intervals. However,the opposite may apply. The above respective components, part, devices,and the like such as the foundation member, the wound body, the holdingend, the container, the assembled body, the sample assembly, and theoptical information acquisition section may be optionally combined whilebeing appropriately modified.

1. A sample arraying/assembling device comprising: a distributingsection which is capable of holding respective solutions containingsamples to be distributed, and which has a plurality of holding endsarranged in a predetermined matrix; and a wound body which has a planesurface wound with a string-like or thread-like slender foundationmember on which samples are to be distributed at distribution intervalsof column or line of the matrix, which is arranged in parallel atwinding intervals of the line or column of the matrix on the planesurface, so that the respective holding ends can come into contacttherewith.
 2. A sample arraying/assembling device according to claim 1,comprising a container which has a plurality of wells capable of storingthe respective solutions containing said samples to be distributed,arrayed in said predetermined matrix, and said respective holding endsof said distributing section are provided so as to be able to beinserted into said respective wells.
 3. A sample arraying/assemblingdevice according to claim 1, wherein said distributing section hasliquid storing sections capable of storing the respective solutionscontaining the samples to be distributed, arrayed in said predeterminedmatrix, and said holding ends are respectively communicated with saidliquid storing sections.
 4. A sample arraying/assembling deviceaccording to any one of claim 1 through claim 3, wherein said wound bodyhas a plate body and said plane surface is a plate face.
 5. A samplearraying/assembling device according to any one of claim 1 through claim3, wherein said wound body has a prism and said plane surface is a sideface.
 6. A sample arraying/assembling device according to any one ofclaim 1 through claim 3, wherein said distributing section has aplurality of holding ends projecting to the bottom side of a rectangularboard, and arranged in said predetermined matrix.
 7. A samplearraying/assembling device according to any one of claim 1 through claim3, wherein said holding ends have a material with a water bearingproperty.
 8. A sample arraying/assembling device according to any one ofclaim 1 through claim 3, wherein the surface of said wound body isprovided with a localization section which localizes the samples withina fixed range on said foundation member, in distribution positions ofthe respective samples provided at distribution intervals of the columnor line along a winding route of said foundation member which has beenprovided in parallel at said winding intervals of the line or column ofthe predetermined matrix.
 9. A sample arraying/assembling deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein said localization sections are concavitiesat said distribution intervals of the column or line, along the windingroute of said foundation member that has been provided in parallel atthe winding intervals of the line or column of the predetermined matrix,and said foundation member is in contact with the holding ends in saidconcavities.
 10. A sample arraying/assembling device according to claim8, wherein said localization sections are convex portions provided atsaid distribution intervals of the column or line, along the windingroute of said foundation member that has been provided in parallel atthe winding intervals of the line or column of the predetermined matrix.11. A sample arraying/assembling device according to any one of claim 1through claim 3, wherein the surface of said wound body is formed withstriations for guiding the foundation member along the winding route ofsaid foundation member.
 12. A sample arraying/assembling deviceaccording to any one of claim 1 through claim 3, comprising: a basewhich detachably attaches said container and/or said wound body solelyor in laminations in this order; and a movable section which isdetachably attached with said distributing section above said base, andwhich can move the distributing section vertically so that it can be incontact with or separated from said container and/or the wound body. 13.A sample arraying/assembling device, comprising: a detachably providedwound body which is wound with a foundation member on which samples aredistributed at distribution intervals of column or line in apredetermined matrix, in parallel at said winding intervals of the lineor column; a detachably provided core to which one end of saidfoundation member is attached, and which is to be wound with saidfoundation member; and a foundation member rolling section whichsequentially takes out said foundation member from said wound body whilerolling it up around said core at narrower intervals than said windingintervals; so as to assemble and arrange said foundation member.
 14. Asample arraying/assembling device according to claim 13, wherein saidfoundation member rolling section rotates at least one of said woundbody and said core, and relatively revolves said wound body and saidcore about each other, and relatively translationally moves them, so asto sequentially take out said foundation member from said wound body,and to roll up the foundation member that has been taken out, aroundsaid core.
 15. A sample arraying/assembling device according to claim13, comprising a core rotating and moving section which makes saidfoundation member rolling section rotate the core in the direction ofrolling up said foundation member, and revolve around said wound body inthe direction of taking out said foundation member, and translationallymoves the core relatively with respect to the wound body, to therebyroll up said foundation member around the core.
 16. A samplearraying/assembling device according to either one of claim 14 and claim15, wherein said wound body is swingably held.
 17. A samplearraying/assembling device comprising: a distributing section which iscapable of holding respective solutions containing samples to bedistributed, and which has a plurality of holding ends arranged in apredetermined matrix; a wound body which has a plane surface wound witha string-like or thread-like slender foundation member on which samplesare to be distributed at distribution intervals of column or line of thematrix, which is arranged in parallel at the winding intervals of theline or column on the plane surface, so that the respective holding endscan come into contact therewith; a detachably provided core to which oneend of said foundation member is attached, and which is to be wound withsaid foundation member; and a foundation member rolling section whichsequentially takes out said foundation member from said wound body whilerolling it up around said core at narrower intervals than said windingintervals; so as to assemble and arrange said foundation member.
 18. Asample arraying/assembling method of distributing samples at once atdistribution intervals of column and line of a predetermined matrix, ona string-like or thread-like slender foundation member, comprising: aholding step for holding respective solutions containing samples to bedistributed, on a plurality of holding ends arranged in a predeterminedmatrix; and a contact step for making said respective holding endscontact with said foundation member wound on a wound body having a planesurface wound so that said foundation member is arranged in parallel atthe winding intervals of the line or the column on the plane surface.19. A sample arraying/assembling method according to claim 18, whereinsaid holding step is performed by inserting said holding ends intorespective wells of a container having a plurality of wells arranged inthe predetermined matrix, and storing solutions containing samples to bedistributed.
 20. A sample arraying/assembling method according to eitherone of claim 18 and claim 19, wherein said holding step comprisessupplying the solution arranged in the predetermined matrix, andcontaining samples to be distributed, into a plurality of respectiveholding ends from the inside thereof.
 21. A sample arraying/assemblingmethod comprising an assembling step for: sequentially taking out afoundation member from a wound body wound with a foundation member onwhich samples are distributed at distribution intervals of column orline of a predetermined matrix, in parallel at said winding intervals ofthe line or column; and rolling said foundation member up around a coreto which one end of said foundation member is attached, and around whichsaid foundation member is wound, at narrower intervals than said windingintervals.
 22. A sample arraying/assembling method according to claim21, wherein said assembling step comprises rotating at least one of saidwound body and said core, and relatively revolving said wound body andsaid core about each other, and relatively translationally moving them,so as to sequentially take out said foundation member from said woundbody, and to roll up said foundation member that has been taken out,around said core.
 23. A sample arraying/assembling method, comprising: aholding step for holding respective solutions containing samples to bedistributed on a plurality of holding ends arranged in a predeterminedmatrix; a contact step for making said respective holding ends contactwith said foundation member and said wound body having a plane surfacewound so that said foundation member is arranged in parallel at saidwinding intervals of line or column of the matrix on the plane surface;and an assembling step for sequentially taking out said foundationmember from said wound body wound with said foundation member on whichsamples are distributed, in parallel at said winding intervals of theline or column, and rolling up said foundation member around a core towhich one end of said foundation member is attached, and around whichsaid foundation member is to be wound, at narrower intervals than saidwinding intervals.
 24. A wound body which has a string-like orthread-like slender foundation member on which samples are to bedistributed at distribution intervals of the column or line, and a planesurface wound with said foundation member so as to be arranged inparallel at said winding intervals of the line or column on the planesurface.
 25. A sample arraying/assembling device, comprising: anassembled body having a core having a peripheral curved face or two sidefaces or more on which respective samples are to be distributed inpredetermined positions with intervals, or wound or coated with a memberon which respective samples are to be distributed in predeterminedpositions with intervals around the axis; and a rotating section whichintermittently rotates said core around said axis for each predeterminedangle so that said respective samples can be distributed around saidperipheral curved face, said respective side faces, or said wound orcoated member, in a condition where the axis of said peripheral curvedface, respective side faces, or wound or coated member is kepthorizontal.
 26. An apparatus using a sample arraying/assembling devicecomprising: a sample assembly having a core having a peripheral curvedface or two side faces or more on which respective samples aredistributed in predetermined positions with intervals, or wound orcoated with a member on which respective samples are distributed inpredetermined positions with intervals around the axis; a translucent orsemitranslucent pipette tip capable of storing said sample assembly andhaving a fluid drawing and discharging opening; a rotating section whichintermittently rotates said pipette tip and said sample assembly storedin said pipette tip, around the axis of said pipette tip or the core foreach predetermined angle; and an optical information acquisition sectionwhich receives light from said sample assembly based on the intermittentrotation of said rotating section and obtains optical information.